Lawn-mower



(No Mom.)

H. D. BLAKEMORB.

LAWN MOWER.

No. 433,317. Patented July 2Q, 1890.

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HERBERT D. BLAKEMORE, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

LAWN-IVIOWER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 433,317, dated July 29, 1890.

Application led September 2, 1889.

.To a/ZZ whom t may concern,.-

Beit known that l, HERBERT D. BLAKE- MORE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Moline, in the county of Rock Island, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in LawnsMowers, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to tha't class of lawn- Inowers wherein the cutting mechanism is that of an oscillating cutter-bar.

The object of my invention is to provide a lawn-mower of this description simple in construction, with few parts to get out of order, combined with effectiveness and durability, and one which enables the operator to dispense with an edge-trimmer without injury to the cutter; and it consists in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings Figure l is a longitudinal section of a lawn-mower embodying myinvention. Fig. 2 is atop plan thereof. Fig. 3 is an end view of the lower portion. Fig. 4 is a detail showing a portion of the fixed guidebar and manner of attaching the side pieces thereto.

The frame of my machine consists of side pieces A A, with rear inward curve a a., and twisted as shown at A4 to strengthen them, and to form parallel straight rear vertical ends of a', between which a suitable pole or handle l5 is bolted, inclined parallel body portions a2 a2 for the carrying-wheels, shaft O, tapering front ends d4 a at right angles to such body portions, and guide-bar a5, with tapering grooves or sockets a a6 in its under. side, in which the tapering front ends of such side pieces are secu red. By this construction a strong frame is afforded without the use of rivets between the side pieces and guide-bar, and the latter may be made quite light, the tongues and grooves serving to re-enforee the otherwise thin body of metal. This frameis prevented from lateral displacement upon the carryingwheel shaft, upon which said frame is loosely hung by two collars di al secured to such shaft. Upon the upper face of the lower part of the body of each of the side 4pieces is a bearing as for the actuatinglever E, to retain the latter in place and keep its Serial No. 322,685. (No modeld connecting-knife in working contact with the guide-bar. I prefer to construct this with a removable cap ce, to provide a ready means for the removal of the knife when desired, and to take up the wear in such bearing. Each of these side pieces is also provided with a vertical flange am, with a threaded hole, by which, through a bolt and suitable rollerhanger, the roller f is vertically adj usted. The guide-bar a5 is saw-toothed in front, the teeth au being nearly or quite as long as the teeth of the cutter-knife. The ends of the bar are flush and on a line with the outer faces of the carrying-wheels, and the teeth L12 are re-enforced and extend slightly beyond the points of the teeth of the cutter, and are blunt in front. By this construction, while the grass may be cut clear to the edge of a walk or other obstruction, the edge of the knife is prevented from coming in contact with or being injured by any hard substance or obstruction. This guide has also one or more tongues or projections 0,13 in the center of its upper face which fit into a corresponding slot or slots in the cutter and hold the latter in longitudinal adjustment. The frame may of course be constructed in one piece; but for strength and eheapness I prefer to employ this construction.

H II are carrying vheels of the machine, and also serve to actuate the knife. They are constructed with inwardlyproj ecting peripheral cams 7L, the point of the cam on one wheel being opposite the depression in the other. These cams are constructed to afford as little or the least possible friction with the actuating-lever, hereinafter described. These wheels are keyed or otherwise rigidly secured to the shaft O, which rotates in bearings a3 on the sides A.

The cutter-bar or knife D is preferably made of a thin blade of steel, with saw-tooth or scalloped cutting-edge d, and of a length slightly less than that of the guide upon which it moves. Near the ends of the knife the metal is cut and raised to forni tapering grooves or sockets d, into which the tapering ends of the actuating-lever are secured. In the center of this knife are one or more slots a2 corresponding to the proj ect-ions am upon the guidebar. This knife may be a doublecut knife, if preferred.

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E is the actuating-frame, with inwardly-extending tapering ends e, which are secured in the tapering grooves ct in the cutter-bar. This lever has vertically-inclined arms e of a pitch to engage with the cams on the carrying-wheels, and a horizontal bar e2 of such a length that the arms will alternately engage with the cams-that is, that when one arm 1s actuated by the cam of its carrying-wheel the opposing arm is not in contact with any cam on its wheel, and so on-and j ournaled in the bearings a8 on the frame of the machine.

E are anti-friction rollers on the frame E at points where they will come in contact with the cams.

F is the roller-hanger, with a roller f rotating in its lower end, secured by a thumbscrew to the vertical flange al() on the side of the frame, and with a longitudinal slot f by which the roller may be adjusted.

l G is a hood or shield attached to the front of the guide-bar, ywhich prevents the grass vfrom getting into the working` arts of the machine and interfering with the working thereof. It will thus be seen that when the carrying-wheels are rotated the lever coming in contact with the cams on their peripheries will, with its connected and dependent cutter-knife,be actuated from side to side, while the horizontal bar of such lever, moving in the bearings on the frame, will keep theknife in contact with the guide, and, together with the slots and projections in cutter and guide, will counteract the tendency the knife has to escape from such contact. By this construction all bolting and riveting of the parts is avoided, and a compact, simple, and durable mechanism is afforded which will bear long and severeusage. Backward movement of the wheels will not disturb the mechanism, and if a durable cutter-bar is provided, as above mentioned, the operation of cutting will be accomplished in either a forward or backward movement of the machine. The hood shown in this figure is also a desirable feature, as .it protects the working parts of the machine from being clogged or interfered with by the cut grass.

The adjustable roller is used in this as in other machines of its vclass to Vary the height of the cutting, raising it to cut longer and lowering it to cut shorter.

The mechanism herein shown and described is simple. in construction with few parts to get out of order, almost an entire absence of rivets and bolts to work loose, is durable, and can be manufactured very cheaply. By it a lawn can be mowed clean without the afteraid of an edge-trimmer and withoutinjury to the cutter.

I deem it important that the reciprocating bar e2 should be journaled in bearings independent of the reciprocating cutter-bar, for where the cutter-bar itself moves on the stationary cutter-bar and contacts directly with the cams on the wheel toimpart motion theret0 the reciprocating cutter-bar will be rmly and on a higher plane than the cutter-bar l l overcome this objection.

1. In a lawn-mower, a frame consisting of side bars converging at one end to receive the handle and at their other ends bent at right angles, and the guide-bar formed with sockets in the direction of its length to receive the right-angled ends of said side bars, substantially as described.

2. In a lawn-mower, a frame consisting of two bars inwardly curved and converging to receive the handle and at the curve twisted from a horizontal to a substantially vertical plane, and at their lower ends bent inwardly atright angles in the opposite directions, combined with a handle secured between the converging'ends of said side bars, and a guidebar affixed to the rear ends of said side bars and having sockets to receive the right-angled ends of the first-mentioned bars, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a lawn-mower, the combination, with the frame, a stationary guide-bar, and carrying-wheels provided with cams, of a reciprocating knife, and an actuating-bar independent of said reciprocating' knife and connected therewith to be actuated directly by the cams, substantially as specified.

it. In a lawn-mower, the combination, with the frame, a stationary guide-bar, side bars, A

and cam-wheels, of the transverse bar supported in bearings independent of the cutterbar upon a higher plane than said cutter-bar, and a reciprocating knife connected with the transverse bar and moving over the stationary guide-bar, substantially as specified.

5. In a lawn-mower, the combination, with the frame, the cam-wheels, the stationary guide-bar having sockets receiving the ends of the side bars of the frame, and the bearings on said side bars, of the transverse shaft arranged to move endwise in said bearings, and the inclined arms attached to said shaft with their lower ends bent inwardly and engaging sockets on the reciprocating knife, substantially as shown and described.

6. The combination, with the reciprocating knife formed with tapered sockets, of the actuating-frame for said knife, having at its ends tapered horizontal portions fitting said sockets, substantially as described.

7. In a lawn-mower, the combination of the side pieces A, the guide-bar connecting the front ends thereof, the cam-wheels, the arms c', bearings for the frame. independent of the guide-bar, the reciprocating frame held in said bearings and supported by said arms substantially on a plane with the axle and engaging directly the cams on the wheels, and the cutter-bar connected with the reciprocating frame, substantially as. shown and described.

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tongue or projection in the guide-hal', and a Shield G, secured to the bearings in front of the Wheels, all constructed and operating in Iche manner and-for the purpose setforth.

In testimony whereof I alx my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

HERBERT D. BLAKEMORE.

W'tnesses:

L. C. HILLS, H. SUTHERLAND. 

